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Photos: Words drown out traffic at Indonesia’s under bridge library

Singing and laughter briefly drown out the roar of cars under a Jakarta flyover, where an unlikely library for kids is thriving despite choking fumes -- and opposition from menacing gangsters. There's no quiet rule at this open-air reading park wedged between two lanes of traffic just outside Indonesia's capital, a city of some 30 million that is notorious for having some of the world's worst traffic jams.

Updated on: Mar 28, 2019 9:48 AM IST

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Volunteers conduct a storytelling session with children at an under bridge library called “TBM Kolong” in Ciputat, Indonesia. Despite its unlikely location, the Taman Baca Masyarakat Kolong has been a hit. A shortage of public libraries means it’s one of the few places where kids from this area can read books outside school. (Adek Berry / AFP)

Updated on Mar 28, 2019 9:48 AM

Volunteers conduct a storytelling session with children at an under bridge library called “TBM Kolong” in Ciputat, Indonesia. Despite its unlikely location, the Taman Baca Masyarakat Kolong has been a hit. A shortage of public libraries means it’s one of the few places where kids from this area can read books outside school. (Adek Berry / AFP)

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“We wanted to bring books closer to the community,” Devina Febrianti, a library coordinator, told AFP. Several years ago, the flyover in suburb Ciputat, part of Jakarta’s greater metropolitan area, was strewn with rubbish and roamed by intimidating street thugs, Febrianti said. But armed with books and paint, local organisations set about transforming its down-and-out reputation. (Adek Berry / AFP)

Updated on Mar 28, 2019 9:48 AM

“We wanted to bring books closer to the community,” Devina Febrianti, a library coordinator, told AFP. Several years ago, the flyover in suburb Ciputat, part of Jakarta’s greater metropolitan area, was strewn with rubbish and roamed by intimidating street thugs, Febrianti said. But armed with books and paint, local organisations set about transforming its down-and-out reputation. (Adek Berry / AFP)

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A volunteer shows art to children. Artists painted murals on the walls, installed planter boxes and a futsal pitch, and a library with several dozen books was built on site. Still, it wasn’t met with universal acclaim when it opened for business in 2016. “In the beginning not everyone was supportive when we came with books because there were already other residents here,” Febrianti said. (Adek Berry / AFP)

Updated on Mar 28, 2019 9:48 AM

A volunteer shows art to children. Artists painted murals on the walls, installed planter boxes and a futsal pitch, and a library with several dozen books was built on site. Still, it wasn’t met with universal acclaim when it opened for business in 2016. “In the beginning not everyone was supportive when we came with books because there were already other residents here,” Febrianti said. (Adek Berry / AFP)

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“We asked for forgiveness first from the gangsters who were here and then the ‘angkot’ drivers,” she added, referring to cheap and ubiquitous minivans that provide public transport. Winning over parents afraid that their children would be kidnapped or hit by a car was no mean feat, either. (Adek Berry / AFP)

Updated on Mar 28, 2019 9:48 AM

“We asked for forgiveness first from the gangsters who were here and then the ‘angkot’ drivers,” she added, referring to cheap and ubiquitous minivans that provide public transport. Winning over parents afraid that their children would be kidnapped or hit by a car was no mean feat, either. (Adek Berry / AFP)

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Eventually, parents -- and even the street gangs -- warmed to the idea. Today, it’s not uncommon to see up to 70 kids attending after-school sessions, where they read stories, get help with homework, or sing and dance on concrete covered with green Astroturf. Bookshelves are stuffed with hand-me-down kids’ books and some other less likely titles such as “Accounting” and “Glossary of Marketing Terms”. (Adek Berry / AFP)

Updated on Mar 28, 2019 9:48 AM

Eventually, parents -- and even the street gangs -- warmed to the idea. Today, it’s not uncommon to see up to 70 kids attending after-school sessions, where they read stories, get help with homework, or sing and dance on concrete covered with green Astroturf. Bookshelves are stuffed with hand-me-down kids’ books and some other less likely titles such as “Accounting” and “Glossary of Marketing Terms”. (Adek Berry / AFP)

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Emilia Clara, an 11-year-old student, said she liked reading stories, especially fairytales, with friends. “It makes me happy and it’s exciting,” she told AFP in a brief interview, before rushing back to join the other kids. And it has won over parents like Salmih Usia, a 41-year-old mother of two. “This is a great place for learning, creating and playing,” she said. (Adek Berry / AFP)

Updated on Mar 28, 2019 9:48 AM

Emilia Clara, an 11-year-old student, said she liked reading stories, especially fairytales, with friends. “It makes me happy and it’s exciting,” she told AFP in a brief interview, before rushing back to join the other kids. And it has won over parents like Salmih Usia, a 41-year-old mother of two. “This is a great place for learning, creating and playing,” she said. (Adek Berry / AFP)

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Free reading gardens, known as Taman Bacaan, have existed in various forms across Indonesia for several decades. They’re often run by NGOs or volunteer associations funded by public and private sector contributions. Some 80 reading parks have been established in this part of the capital, although there is only one located right below a flyover, Febrianti said. (Adek Berry / AFP)

Updated on Mar 28, 2019 9:48 AM

Free reading gardens, known as Taman Bacaan, have existed in various forms across Indonesia for several decades. They’re often run by NGOs or volunteer associations funded by public and private sector contributions. Some 80 reading parks have been established in this part of the capital, although there is only one located right below a flyover, Febrianti said. (Adek Berry / AFP)

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In Hong Kong, a small outdoor library that doubled as a children’s playground was set up under a flyover in the bustling city as part of research into how to better use community spaces, according to a report in the South China Morning Post last year. (Adek Berry / AFP)

Updated on Mar 28, 2019 9:48 AM

In Hong Kong, a small outdoor library that doubled as a children’s playground was set up under a flyover in the bustling city as part of research into how to better use community spaces, according to a report in the South China Morning Post last year. (Adek Berry / AFP)

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Back in Indonesia, library volunteers admit the street-side location poses some potential health problems because of the fumes from traffic and the subsequent impact on air quality. “But so far there haven’t been any complaints about the smell, rubbish or loud noises,” Febrianti said, adding: “We use a sound system, which is quite helpful for us to overcome the (noise) problem.” (Adek Berry / AFP)

Updated on Mar 28, 2019 9:48 AM

Back in Indonesia, library volunteers admit the street-side location poses some potential health problems because of the fumes from traffic and the subsequent impact on air quality. “But so far there haven’t been any complaints about the smell, rubbish or loud noises,” Febrianti said, adding: “We use a sound system, which is quite helpful for us to overcome the (noise) problem.” (Adek Berry / AFP)

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